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May 2018

China’s massive Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is seen as a unique chance to strengthen economic cooperation between Beijing and Europe and a way to spur trade and the economies of the countries involved. But some consider it a strategic and self-interested tool for China to extend its sphere of influence.

U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Kurt Volker does not see any great differences of views between Europe and European allies on the supply of lethal weapons from the United States to Ukraine.

Estonian Foreign Minister Sven Mikser in Stockholm on Saturday attended the Baltic Day celebration dedicated to the 100th anniversaries of the Baltic countries and commended the local Estonians for preserving Estonianness, spokespeople at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

French President Emmanuel Macron has said Azerbaijan can always rely on France`s support in addressing future challenges. In his letter of congratulation addressed to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of the centenary o the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, the French President said: “As Azerbaijan is celebrating the centenary of its independence, which was proclaimed in 1918 and restored in 1991, I know how difficult it is to build such a stable, modern and prosperous state.”

More efficient command structures within NATO are key to boosting the alliance’s capacity for deterrence and defence, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak said on the third day of the Spring Session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Warsaw on Sunday.

The Iranian gas at the border is much more expensive than the Russian gas, Armenian Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Armenia Arthur Grigoryan told reporters journalists after the visit to Armenian NPP on Friday.

Relations between Kazakhstan and India have a long history. At the beginning of the first millennium, the Sakas went from Central Asia to India and Buddhism from India was introduced in Kazakhstan. The Great Silk and Spice Routes united India and Kazakhstan in the Middle Ages. There was a constant exchange of goods, ideas and thoughts between the countries. The year 2017 marked the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Kazakhstan. Since 1991, when Kazakhstan gained independence, both countries have strengthened their relations, Ambassador of India to Kazakhstan Prabhat Kumar told The Astana Times.

Europe and Germany will have a high demand for imported natural gas in the medium term. Therefore, maintaining the stability and reliable energy partnership with Russia for decades is of great importance for the German economy. At the same time, the question of how to take into account the interests of third countries also plays a role. A constant exchange of views with colleagues is an important condition for finding solutions.

Where are we heading in Syria and what is going to be the next chapter in this war if we take into account the fact that the country is divided between Western, Turkish, regime/Russian and džihadist controlled zones? What role can the EU play to bring hositilites to an end?

Despite the large scale military exercises held by Russia and the West recently, no one is getting ready for a real war in Europe, Sergey Utkin, researcher at Russia's Primakov National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations, has said.

Azerbaijan’s Defense Industry (DI) Minister Yaver Jamalov said, on April 27, that 89 percent of domestic DI output during the first quarter of 2018 was made up of special-purpose defense products, some of which are exported to more than ten countries. He added that this export volume has doubled compared to 2017 (Mdi.gov.az, April 27).